I ii wii



(No Model.)

v lS. M. BRIGGS.

DEVICE FOR LUBRIGATING CAR` WHEELS.

Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

F'IG-Z Plas-' H HH N. PETERS Fhololiwirapber. Washingn. D.C-

SAMUEL M. BRIGGS, OF 'WASHINGTON, DlS'lRlCT OF COLUMBIA.

DEVICE. FOR LUBRICATING CAR-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 397,168, dated February 5', 1889.

.Application filed October 2, 1888. Serial No. 286,944. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. Barcos, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Lubrication of Ca1-\Vl1eels on Curves; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the sa1ne,referenee being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures ot' reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

The object of my invention is to provide means for the lubrication of the flanges of car-wheels when turning curves.

lt is well known that in turning curves, especially on city surface roads, where short curves have of necessity to be used, the traction required is ver)I great. Owin g to the fact that car-wheels are made fast to the axles, a pair of wheels have lo turn together, and as the bearings for the axles have no longitudinal play one or both of the wheelshave to slip on the rails in turning a curve. Torelieve the great strain. on the traction power on curves, and to save the wear of rails and carwheel flanges, it has even been proposed to provide one of the rails at a eurve with frietion-rollers or lo make it movable on a 1urntable, and another expedient sometimes resorted to is to grease the rails. lt has also been proposed to provide means on the car, under the control -of the driver or engineer, whereby he can lubricatc the rails at such points as he may desire.

My invention serves to accomplish the result by lubricating' the .flanges of the wheel, means being provided on the car, under the control of a driver or engineer, so that when desired the lnbricator can be applied,an d when not needed it can be withheld. ln this way the lubrication is applied to the wheel itself, and not to the rail, as has heretofore been the practice, so that it is not necessary for lubrieating material to be applied 1o the entire length of the track on the curve. lt is sufficient for the flange of the wheel to be lubricated duringone revolution of the wheel, and this answers for the entire curve, thereby saving the waste of an unnecessary amount of oil,`

required.

and also prtnlueing a bei ter effect. For example, on a descending grade thelubrieating of the wheel-flanges is not necessary or desir` able, but on upgrades it is vvery importantespecially on horse-cars is its want felt; and my invention consists, essentially, of an oilrescrvoir on the car, a pipe leading'therefrom to a point in close proximity to the flange or line of one or lnore of t-he wheels, and provided with a valve and a wire or rod so located as to be within easy reach of the driver or en gineer, by meansof which the lubricant can be applied.

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a car having the apparatus attached; Fig. 2, a front view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the valve.

A is an oil-reservoir. In the case of horsecars it is preferably placedwithin the car under the seat, where it will be out of sight and at the same time easily accessible for filling.

B is a pipe leading therefrom and terminating at a point close tothe llange of one of the wheels (ff.

D is a valve in this pipe. :in Fig.

E is a pipe leading from a point linet above the valve :forward to the dash-board and then up to a point near the top thereof.

(Shown in detail F is a wire or chain connected to the valve and passing' through the pipe E, and provided with a cross-bar or handle, f, which rests on. top of the open end of the pipel within easy reach of the hand of the driver.

Lubricating devices are provided for both car-wheels, and their respective pipes E and operating wires or chains F are brought together in front, so that both can b e operated at the same time by the driver, or one only, as Similar devices may be applied to the car-wheels at both ends of the car; but in operation it is ordinarily only necessary to lubricate the forward wheels, as through them the rail is sufficiently lubricated for the time being. The valve D is a heavy ballvalve having a guide-stem, d, and the wire or chain fastened to the top thereof.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. When it is desired to lubricate the wheel-face, thedriver simply reaches over his dash-board, pulls the valve of one or both of the lubricators open for an inst-ant by IOO means ot' the respective handles, and then lets them go. Sufiioient oil flows down onto the 'Wheel-flange to accomplish the object and the wheels Slip easilyand freely on the track. If desired, a ineasnriiig-Valve may lie employed i which will deliver each time the operating'- handle is pulled a lixed qnanttvol lnln'icant to the wheels.

l. The combination, with the wheel of a car, ot' a ll'lln'icator having' Vits discharge-opening located above the wheel and in close prox iinit),v to the flange or face thereof, so as to discharge the lubricant thereon, elil'mtantially as Het` t'orth.

i. lho coinliinaliim, with a wheel ol' a oar, ol' a lnbricator having its;l discharge-pum located above the wheel or in close proxiniitwv to (Finis. A. Eig'nircrl,

Rmnrfnnen WILeoN. 

